Mail-bag-delivering apparatus



(No Model.)

- Y T. B. WIRE.

MAIL BAG DELIVBRING APPARATUS.

No. 548,943. lPatented oct. 29.18955.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE B.-WIRE, OF PERRY, OHIO.

MAIL-BAG-DELIVERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,943, dated October 29, 1895.

Appiitanon inea Jung 29, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEoDoEE B. WIRE, of Perry, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag-Delivering Apparatus; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for delivering a mail-bag from a mail-carrying car while the latter is in motion, the primary object beingto prevent a bag from being thrown away from the place at which it is desired to have it deposited and to prevent injury to the bag.

With this object in view, and to the end of realizing certain other advantages hereinafter specied, the invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out' in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan of my improved apparatus employed in the delivery of a mail-bag from a mail-carrying car while the latter is in motion. In this figure the mail-bag is shown hung upon the mail-bag holder that is secured to the outside of the car. Fig. 2 isaleft-hand side elevation relative to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a top plan of a port-ion of the apparatus. The parts exhibited in this ligure are drawn to a larger scale than the corresponding parts in the preceding figures. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the outer end of the mail-bag holder that is attached to the side of the car and from which the mail-bag to the delivered is suspended.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a mail-carrying car that upon its outer side and at the side from which the mail-bag is delivered is provided with a mail-bag holder that comprises an arm B, pivotedat or near one end, as at b, by means of a pin arranged horizontally and parallel with the supporting side of the car toand between two brackets a, projecting laterally. and outwardly from said side ofthe car. Arm B is adapted to swing or oscillate in a vertical plane and in'its normal or inoperative position projects upwardly from its pivotal connection with the support- Serial No. 554,455. (No modela ling-brackets, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2,

and suitable means for retaining said arm in `its upwardly-projecting or inoperative position is provided, and consists, preferably, of a weight C, connected with the pivoted end of the arm and acting to retain the latter in its normal or inoperative position.

The mail-bag to be delivered from the car is suspended from the outer or free end of arm B. Arm B, in its operative position, projects outwardly from the car and horizontally,

or approximately horizontally, as shown in solid lines, Fig. 2, and the weight of poise C, of course, does not exceed the weight of the lightest bag ever. carried by arm B. A stop to prevent arm B from being tilted downwardly below its operative position is provided, and consists, preferably, of a lug a', rigid with bracket or brackets a a, and adapted to be engaged upon its under side by poise C when arm B is in its operative position. Arm B at its outer end is provided with a member B that projects in a direction opposite to the direction in which the car moves.

D represents a mail-bag suspended vertically from member B of the mail-bag holder, said bag at one end being provided with a loop or strap CZ to accommodate the suspension of the bag from the mail-bag holder. The station that is to receive the Inail-bag suspended from the moving car, as hereinbefore indicated, is provided with a yielding device that when in an operative position extends into the path of the moving mail-bag and is adapted to arrest the momentum of the bag and dislodge the bag from the bag-holder, and thereby permit the bag to fall to the floor or ground below.

The mail-bag arresting and dislodging device comprises,'preferably, an upright post E, provided at the station in suitable proximity to the outer side of the path of the moving mail-bag. A sleeve G is journaled upon said upright post, and is consequently capable of turning upon the post. Said sleeve at its lower end rests upon a collar E rigid with or formed upon the post. Two vertical seriesH and I, respectively, of horizontally-arranged ixed springs are shown secured in any ap- I proved manner to sleeve G-for instance, to a laterally-projecting arm gof said sleeve-and ICO ' or injuring the bag in any manner.

which arm extends the entire length,or approximately the entire length, of the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 2. Springs H and l' are preferably U-shaped in plan, as shown in Fig. l, and springs H are located somewhat forward of springs I, and the forward series of springs are comparatively light, whereas the rearward series of springs are quite stiff. Both series of springs in their operative position extend into the path of the lmoving mail-bag, as already indicated, and are arranged with their concave surfaces facing opposite to the direction in which the mail-bag is moving. To prevent the springs when in an operative position from being swung out of said position by the .wind I provide suitable means for locking said springs in their operative position, and said locking means consists, preferably, of a bolt K, adapted to engage a recess or hole e' in a collar e rigid with post E. Bolt K is operatively connected with the short arm of a bell-crank lever L, that is fulcrumed, as at L,'to a horizontally-arranged bracket g', rigid with the upper end of sleeve G, and the longer arm of said lever is located forward of the forward series of lighter springs and eX- tends into the path of the moving mail-bag. The moving mail-bag, upon arriving at the bag arresting and dislodging device, irst strikes the long arm of the bell-crank lever and actuates said lever in the direction required to withdraw bolt K from the engaging-hole e' in collar e, thereby permitting sleeve G and connected springs to swing or oscillate into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, which is their inoperative position. The moving bag strikes lever L, as already indicated, and immediately afterward strikes the first series of lighter springs, which check the momentum of the bag, and, if the latteris very light, perhaps arrest the bag. However, the first or forward series of springs are provided for the purpose of checking the momentum of the bag, and the second series or very stiff springs arrest the bag if the latter has not already been arrested by the first or forward series of springs. By means of my improved mail-bag arresting and dislodging device-that is, of a yielding character, as hereinbefore described-there is no liability, it will be observed, of mutilating The a'rresting and dislodging device will likely, in operating upon the bag, be swung into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, in which position it is inoperative, as already indicated, and means for preventing the device from being actuated by the wind from an inoperative to an operative position is preferably provided and consists, preferably, of a pawl M, pivoted at m to the upper side of the bracket g and adapted to engage -the adjacent tooth of a series of ratchet-teeth e2, provided upon and circumferentially of collar c. A spring O engages and acts in the direction to retain the pawl in its operative position, and the arrangement of parts is such that the pawl is free to ride over the teeth in the actuation of the bag-arrestin g springs from their operative to an inoperative position, but is not free to move in the oppesite direction, and, consequently, locks the springs so far as concerns their movement fromk an inoperative to an operative position.

Member B', from which the bag is suspended, preferably'projects upwardly toward its free end, as shown in Fig. 4C. There is more or less pull downwardly upon said member B during the bag-dislodging operation, and I therefore preferably form said member upon the free end of a fixed springb, that is suitably secured to the outer end of arm B, as shown in Fig. 4, by which construction member B is rendered yielding vertically and will accommodate the dislodgement of the bag therefrom Without mutilating or injuring the loop or strap d upon the bag.

Spring Z9 has, preferably, another member b2 projecting in a direction opposite to the direction in which member B projects, which member b2 is for use in the delivery of the mail-bag when the car travels in the other direction.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a mail-car pro` vided eXteriorly with a member B suitably supported from the car and located a suitable distance from the car-body, said member B projecting in the direction opposite to the direction in which the car lnoves in delivering the mail-bag, and mail-bag removably suspended from said projecting-member, of a sleeve G pivoted vertically at the outer side of and in suitable proximity to the path of the suspended mail-bag, fixed springs suitably attached to said sleeve, said springs, in their operative position traversing the path of the moving bag and being adapted to be struck by the bag and thereby dislodge the bag, and mechanism for locking the sleeve in the operative position of the springs and adapted to be actuated to unlock by the moving bag, the arrangement of parts being such that said mechanism shall be actuated to unlock the sleeve before the bag strikes the springs, substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a mail-car pro.-

vided exteriorly with a member B suitably supported from the car, and located a suitable distance from the car-body, which mem- IOO IIO

ber B projecting in the direction opposite to the direction in which the car moves in delivering the mail-bag, and mail-bag removably suspended from said projecting member, of a vertically pivoted sleeve G arranged at the outer side of and in suitable proximity to the path of the moving suspended bag, springs attached to said sleeve, and together with the sleeve being adapted to oscillate in a horizontal plane, said springs being U-shaped in plan and, in their operative position, traversing the path of the bag and having their concave sides facing in the direction opposite to the direction in which the bag moves, mechanism for locking the sleeve in the operative position of the springs and comprising a lever traversing the path of the bag in advance of the portion of the springs struck by the bag, and adapted to be actuated by the bag in the direction required to unlock the aforesaid sleeve, substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

8. In mail-bag-delivering apparatus, a sleeve G pivoted vertically at the outer side of and in suitable proximity to the path of the moving mail-bag, fixed springs suitably attached to said sleeve, said springs, in their operative position, traversing the path of the moving bag and being adapted to be struck by the bag and thereby dislodge the bag, mechanism for locking the sleeve in the operative position of the springs and adapted 4 to be actuated to unlock by the moving bag,

the arrangement of parts being such that said mechanism shall be actuated to unlock the sleeve before the bag strikes the springs, and means for locking the aforesaid sleeve against turning in the direction in which it is turned when the aforesaid springs are actuated from their inoperative into an operative position, substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

4. In mailbag-delivering apparatus, two upright series of springs provided at the station at which the mail-bag is delivered, said springs, in their operative position, being in the path of the suspended mail-bag and adapted to be engaged by the bag, one of said series of springs being located forward of the other series, and the springs of the rearward series being much stiffer than the springs of the forward series, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In mailbag-delivering apparatus, upright post E provided with shoulder E and collar e that has the hole e and ratchet teeth e2; sleeve G; springs H and I; pawl M; spring O; bolt K, and lever L, all arranged and operating substantially as shown for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of June, 1895.

TI-IEODORE B. WIRE. Witnesses:

C. H. DoRER, L. WARD HOOVER. 

